GB1073613A - Round feeding mechanism of an automatic gun - Google Patents

Abstract

1,073,613. Gun feeding mechanisms. BOFORS A.B. July 23, 1965 [Aug. 14, 1964], No. 31587/65. Heading F3C. An automatic gun comprises a recoiling barrel 1 and breech ring 2 assembly, a loading tray on to which cartridges are fed firstly by a transverse reciprocating feeder mechanism mounted below a magazine positioned at one side of the gun whereby the cartridges are held on spring-loaded levers in a ready position vertically above the loading tray and secondly by a further round feed mechanism which urges the cartridges downwardly through the spring- loaded levers. The further round feed mechanism includes a bell-crank lever 8 pivotally carrying at one end a down-feeder 10 and pivoted on a shaft 9 housed in the non-recoiling breech casing. The down-feeder 10 is provided with rollers 25 working in guide slots 26 in a buffer casing 27, the travel of the drum-feeder in the casing 27 being limited by spring-loaded levers 28, 30. The bell-crank lever 8 is spring-loaded into its down-feeder retracted position by a first spring device 15. The other end of the bell-crank lever 8 is connected to a second spring device 11, the other end of the spring device 11 being pivotally connected to one arm 37 of a two-armed cocking lever 12. The cocking-lever 12 is also rotatably mounted on a shaft stationary with the breech casing. The other arm 14 of the lever 12 carries a roller 40 which co-operates with a cam path 41 of the breech ring 2. A check lever 51 is also provided, the pawl 52 of which co-operates with the casing 35 of the further spring device, which check lever 51 can be locked in position by two levers 57, 58. The lever 57 is operatively connected through a spring-loaded linkage and lever assembly to a slide 81 spring-loaded downwardly to co-operate with the upper surface of the breech ring 2 during part of its recoil and recuperation movement. The lever 58 is connected through a spring-loaded, lost motion linkage and lever assembly to a feeler arm 66. A catch lever 42 pivoted about a shaft 44 stationary with the breech casing is also provided, the catch lever 42 being connected through a spring-loaded linkage 46, 47 with a lever 48 pivotable about the shaft 9. Fig. 3 shows the further feed mechanism at the beginning of the recuperative movement of the barrel 1 when the further spring device casing 35 is held by the check lever 51 in its locked position and pawl 52 and a cartridge is being fed by the transverse reciprocating feeder mechanism to the ready position beneath the down-feeder 10. When the roller 40 rides up the cam path 41, the spring 38 in the spring casing 35 is compressed, the catch lever 42 under its spring-loading 47 falls behind the arm 37 of the lever 12 to lock the arm 37 in its forward position, the slide 81 is released by the breech ring 2 such that lever ,57 unlocks the lever 51 and the feeler 66 engages a cartridge 7 such that lever 58 also unlocks the lever 51 (Fig. 4, not shown). Pawl 52 is then pushed aside by the force of the spring 38, the bellcrank lever 8 pivots to feed the cartridge to the loading tray during the recoil action of the barrel 1, the spring device 15 being at this time actuated. At the end of the recoil action and thus the bell-crank feed motion, a lug 49 on the lever 8 engages the lever 48 to raise the catchlever 42 and thus, under the action of the spring device 15, allow the parts of the further feed mechanism to return to their positions as shown in Fig. 3 (Figs. 5, 6, not shown).